Yo!

We've reached the Vytal Festival, which means it's time for the climaxes of our character arcs to begin! Hope you're as excited as I am!

Chapter 40

Cinder feigned some small interest as the first fight of the day ended in the favor of a Vacuan Team. She clapped her hands with as much energy as she could afford to pretend to have, but was mostly off in her own thoughts, or perhaps lost in them was a better way of putting it.

The Vytal Festival had well and truly begun, now.

"And a brilliant Victory for Team YYRM!" Cinder heard Professor Oobleck drone out over the microphone. "They cordoned off their opponents into one section of the battlefield, and took potshots at them before moving in for the kill!"

"Hah, just like I would've done during my glory days, Bart." Professor Peter Port was, as always, a boastful pig of a man.

"Doctor."

"Mm. Indeed Bart, indeed."

The two commentators continued to ramble on and on about this and that, still going over a good deal of the primary rules of the competition, given that the first match had only just passed. There would be roughly fifteen-minute intervals in between matches, and a larger intermission halfway through the day that would last two hours. That time would mainly be used by families to go and eat food at the fairground, or to go and explore Vale – or, as Cinder imagined was far more important, spend money in Vale.

Her team was rather clearly uninterested with the entire affair. They had a match, of course, even if such a thing was no longer necessary to their plan to obtain the Fall Maiden's power. Still, she'd long since entered them into the tournament – hell, it had been their excuse to come here early in the first place, that they were a good team who'd be attending the Vytal Festival – and it would've drawn unwanted attention for them to back out so soon to the event itself.

Thusly, they would be competing.

They did not know when, given that Cinder hadn't seen any reason to control the flow of the matches via Watts' virus if the results didn't at all matter. She was to be offered the Fall Maiden's power, Lionheart had said so, and Glynda had confirmed it.

Thusly, all of this was no more than a performance. Just a way to sink even further into their disguises.

…

Cinder let out a weary sigh as the randomizer once more appeared on the several jumbo-screens that were hung up around the arena's edges. The roulette spun, and spun, and then, finally…

Cinder's eyes widened.

Well…

"Well, well, Bart!" Professor Port's voice rang out over the intercom. "This looks like quite the interesting match! Two heavyweights! On the one hand, one of Atlas' premier team's for this year's Vytal Festival, and an early dark horse to win the entire thing, it's Team Chrysanthemum!"

Some parts of the crowd cheered, although, as Cinder and her team stood up, and began making their way towards the locker rooms, she had a funny feeling they'd be growing a lot louder in a moment.

"And on the other side of the field, we have a team that is, at this point, native to two regions of Remnant. A team hailing from Haven Academy, and yet having spent the past year here in Beacon. They're quite the powerful fighters themselves, ladies, gentleman, and everyone else, let's hear it for Team Chamomile!"

And though some of her thought this entire affair was nothing more than a job, nothing more than some idiotic affair for children…

Cinder could not deny the rush that flowed through her as the crowd at her back roared their approval.

/

The fight was not particularly notable in any way.

For all that they were supposed powerhouses, Team Chrysanthemum were decidedly not a team of trained killers who were feigning being at the level of students. They were good, and probably would have stacked up well in the tournament, given they were fourth years, and seemingly well regarded amongst brokers, but against them…

They were simply too slow. Too weak. Too passive.

Chamomile tore them apart like tissue paper.

It was a quick thing. Cinder had told each of them to hold back if they deemed it necessary to do so, and they had almost instantly figured out that it would be. Even despite the fact that the four of them lacked the synergy that a dedicated four-man squad had, well…

Cinder herself could've taken just about anyone on the continent. Mercury, Emerald, and Neo weren't quite to that level of strength, but the three of them together more than made up for any slack that Cinder left behind – and she did not leave much.

The fight was over in roughly three and a half minutes. Long enough that their victory would not look overly suspicious, but still far too short for them to avoid being talked about. At the end of the day, Cinder had gone overboard in taking on two members of the opponents team – both of them apparently rather skilled, and marked to be moving to the doubles round, had they the chance – at the same time, managing to take both of their auras into the red while she still sat comfortably in the low green.

The cheers that resounded as the match drew to a close, with Neopolitan kicking the final member of CSYM out of the arena, scoring a ring-out, were deafening. Cinder had never heard such things before, and though she knew they were not necessarily cheering for them – that they likely would've cheered just as loudly for anyone else – she could not hold back the pride from swelling in her chest.

It did her ego no favors, either.

As they exited the locker-room a good twenty minutes later, having changed, showered, and prepared to head back to Beacon – they were no longer required at Amity, given that they would not have another match until the doubles round, and none of them really cared for the spectacle –Cinder found a figure waiting for them.

Or perhaps for her, given who it was.

"An excellent showing, Team CMME." Professor Ozpin, or perhaps Ozma, spoke as he took a few steps towards them. "You continue to prove yourselves. I must say, even if you might consider yourself Haven students even still, you have made Beacon proud."

"Thank you, headmaster." She feigned respect for the man. "We're glad to have performed admirably."

The Headmaster nodded his head, the tiny smile on his face, one that seemed to communicate that he knew more than anyone else in the room, never disappearing.

"If I may, I have a topic I need to discuss with you, Ms. Fall."

Ah. Here it was, then.

"If you wouldn't mind, please come by my office this evening at Seven, once the Festival has concluded for the evening, assuming of course that you have nothing else planned?"

"No, nothing sir." Cinder stated, and it was the truth, even if she'd have moved anything else that got in the way. "I'll be there."

Ozpin hummed in affirmation, gave a nod of his head to the lot of them, and then turned around, making his way back to, presumably, the dignitaries box.

And the four of them were left there.

"…Is this it, then?" Emerald asked.

"I believe so." Cinder answered, and she began to walk towards the air docks, where a ship would ferry them back to Beacon.

"To think, all we've done here has come to this…" Mercury spoke, sounding oddly contemplative as he gave a minute shake of his head. "And soon, it'll all be over."

Cinder watched as Emerald grimaced at that, even if she did her best to subdue the reaction. She did not entirely succeed, however. It showed in the lines that appeared on her face, creased into her skin.

Although, Cinder couldn't entirely blame her for that…

Not when, even muted as it was, she had done much the same.

/

It was as Team CMME finished off the last of the Atlesian team they were facing that Glynda leapt to her feet and clapped with far more fervor than she had for the previous match.

Admittedly, she was a rather biased observer, a fact that was not lost to any of those actually close to her within the dignitaries box. James rolled his eyes, likely a touch annoyed to have had one of his primary tournament hopes knocked out of the tournament when it had barely begun, and Qrow just snickered at her.

She pointedly ignored Ozpin, who she had sat as far away from as was possible whilst still not giving away anything to those who were not in the know of the situation. In fact, many of the other dignitaries in the box didn't even seem to take notice of her.

She'd intended to talk with a certain member of Team CMME today. Now would be as good an opportunity as she'd likely get to do so and still make it back before she was considered unfashionably late.

She did not give any excuse as she left, and luckily, she would not need to. She was not the only person leaving the box at that time. Just after a match was, after all, the precise time that just about everyone in the stadium would be rushing to either the refreshment stands, or the bathrooms.

She noted that Ozpin had left as well, which made sense. He would likely be tracking down Chamomile as well, giving Cinder the evening's ultimatum.

She bit down on the anger within her that seemed to swell whenever she saw Ozpin this past week. It was difficult. She had trusted him, and he'd…

He'd betrayed her.

Glynda had never taken betrayal well.

Still, she shook her head. Now was not the time for this.

Ozpin was headed towards the participant locker rooms, likely to intercept them the moment they left. He had always liked seeming a step ahead, Ozpin.

Glynda, however, was aiming to catch them after they made their way towards the air docks.

It was a guess, of course. She didn't know for certain that Chamomile would be retreating to Beacon for the remainder of the day. But she knew its members. Or, at the very least, she knew two of them quite extensively, and could guess for the others.

None of them were the type to enjoy being packed into a stadium like this.

In fact, Glynda imagined they would be quite glad to have gotten their match out of the way as soon as they had.

And so, she took to the air docks, found a spot where she would not look too terribly odd simply… waiting, and then waited.

This was a bit of a rushed affair; she could admit that. But more than that, Glynda also understood that she would likely find herself far too distracted come the evening, when Ozpin officially offered the Maiden's power to Cinder, and would almost certainly find some new way of infuriating her further, to say what she needed to communicate to Emerald. Thusly… that left this very moment.

It wasn't long – perhaps seven or eight minutes – before, just as Glynda had surmised, Team CMME's unique profiles became visible in the sizable crowds that were, themselves, exiting Amity.

"Team Chamomile?"

The members of CMME turned to regard her, and Glynda watched as each of them catalogued her presence.

It had taken her a while to understand why it was that such a thing had bothered her once upon a time. Nowadays she understood, of course. Each of them eyed her like a potential threat, before that look in their eyes was done away with. These were not the eyes of students, but of seasoned hunters and huntresses, those who had seen things that they shouldn't had to have, and still come out alive.

It saddened Glynda to see such eyes on those so young.

Emerald, however, was who drew her eye the most. None of the rest of CMME had visibly reacted to her, and yet Emerald had stopped dead in her tracks, almost flinching at her presence.

Glynda could not deny the way that her spirits fell at seeing it.

"Glynda." Cinder addressed her by her first name, as she had begun to do fairly recently whenever the two of them were amongst only themselves. It was, admittedly, a bit of an awkward thing when she was surrounded on all sides by normal people, and Cinder's teammates, but… well, she couldn't deny that some part of her liked that she had called her by her name.

Even if some part of her still really felt like she shouldn't have liked it.

"I was rather impressed by your performance in combat today, first and foremost." Glynda felt that deserved to be said, given she'd given them a standing ovation before she'd even realized it. "You handled yourselves more than well."

"Thank you." Cinder, again, answered for the entirety of CMME. She always seemed to, when it was the group of them together. "I suppose you assumed that we would not be sticking around afterwards?"

Glynda smiled. "You assume correctly. Although my reason for being here is actually to speak with Emerald."

Cinder's eyebrows rose, and it was clear that she hadn't expected such a thing. Glynda felt the smallest bit bad about leaving the woman, and the rest of her team, aside to talk only with Emerald, but…

Well, this was important.

"Would that be fine with you, Emerald?"

She hoped Emerald would agree. If she didn't... if Emerald didn't want to speak with her, then she wouldn't push the issue. They could always find another time to have this conversation. Or… well, if Emerald no longer wanted anything to do with her in the first place, then–

"Okay." Emerald finally spoke up, snapping Glynda out of her own head. "I… Yeah. Where do you want to…"

"There's a break room reserved for the staff of the event," Glynda spoke, even as the rest of CMME, including Cinder, began to make their way towards an airship that had just touched down. "No one is using it currently, given that the festivities have only just begun. I thought we might discuss things in private there?"

"That sounds good." Emerald spoke a bit awkwardly.

And that stuck with Glynda. How awkward it was. How awkward the both of them were. It was clear that whatever it was that had happened with Emerald was not entirely resolved, and on Glynda's end, that she did not know how to go about rectifying that fact.

Still, for now, she would keep things simple.

The two of them both excused themselves from CMME, making their way towards the room that Glynda had set aside. It was only in that moment that she realized that 'set aside' in this case meant more that she had scouted it earlier, and assumed that no one would be using it.

How imbecilic of her. If someone had taken to using it for the time being, than this entire conversation might go up in smoke. She had truly been such a fool to–

"Ms. Goodwitch?"

She frowned as she realized how lost in her own thoughts she'd been, and turned to see Emerald looking up at her with some small concern.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm..." She took a breath. "I'm fine, Emerald. Thank you. It's... there is something I want to tell you that I am simply very nervous about. Forgive me my awkwardness."

"Ah." Emerald, clearly, wasn't going to blame her, given she seemed to be feeling the exact same way.

They remained silent for the rest of the journey. A minute later, Glynda pushed open the door to the staff room.

It wasn't much of a room. It had clearly been set up in a hurry, and with the barest amenities. It had a table in the middle with six or so fold-out chairs, a water cooler in one corner, and a few scroll charging stations.

At the very least, it was empty. That was all Glynda really required of it.

She let out a sigh of relief as she gestured for Emerald to step in, and, when she did, she made sure to lock the door behind her.

...

She unlocked the door behind her the moment afterwards, earning an odd glance from Emerald.

"I do not want you to feel trapped in here." Glynda said, feeling like an idiot that she'd so much as locked it in the first place. "I wouldn't want–"

"No, it's fine." Emerald shook her head. "Honestly, I'd rather you lock it than have someone come bumbling in."

That... she agreed with Emerald on that, admittedly, and so she turned herself back around, re-locked the door, and then sat down at the table in the center of the room.

And they were left in silence.

Glynda found herself floundering, really. She had something to say, but how to broach the subject... that was something different. Because what she needed to say was rather... heavy, and getting to it from here, this awkward impasse they found themselves at, was going to take some thinking.

"How have you been, Emerald?" She decided to start with something safe. Easy. At the very least, this could start a conversation.

"I've been okay." The girl stated, before seemingly realizing that saying such a thing would get them nowhere, and doubling back around to expound on that. "Or, well, I guess things were rough for a while, but I've been doing better recently, even if things have only grown more complicated."

That was the story of Glynda's life, things only ever growing more complicated.

"I heard that you got into an argument with Ms. Polendina and Ms. Rose." She addressed that particular incident as well, which had, she surmised, had something to do with Glynda herself. "Have you made up with them?"

"Yeah, uh..." Emerald actually looked away, and her face was the smallest bit red. "Ruby and I are cool again, and Penny and I... we've uh... well... it's..."

Glynda watched with an ever-growing smile as Emerald attempted to explain what conclusion, exactly, that she and Ms. Polendina had come to.

She had a guess herself.

"Congratulations."

Emerald just groaned. "Not you, too."

Glynda could not help it. She laughed.

"I'm sorry," She immediately croaked out between further giggling. "I simply... I find the two of you rather adorable, personally. I think she's a good match for you."

Emerald grumbled, but didn't say anything further. Glynda imagined that had something to do with her cherry-red face.

"What did you want to talk about?"

It was as obvious a conversation-changer as Glynda had ever heard, and yet despite that, it did not fail to grind her jovial attitude to a halt. Suddenly, she was swallowing on nothing, the nerves that had been forgotten among the laughter reappearing in droves.

"Ah... yes..."

Emerald seemed concerned. "Is... did something bad happen, Ms. Goodwitch?"

"No, no!" She rushed to reassure the girl. "No, nothing bad. I am... I am being a coward, I'm afraid." She said with a quiet chuckle, shaking her head as she massaged her temples, trying to burn away some of the stress hanging about her. "There is... there is something rather important I mean to ask you, but first I feel like I should apologize."

Emerald's eyes narrowed, but it was not in an accusatory was. It anything, she seemed perplexed.

"What for?"

"For whatever it was that I did to hurt you."

Emerald did not give an audible noise at that, but her lips puckered ever so slightly as her hands balled into fists atop the table.

"...Oh."

As Glynda had thought, there was something. Emerald, clearly, was suffering from something she'd done, or perhaps failed to do. She had no idea what that was, exactly, but was that in and of itself not reason enough for her to be disappointed in her teacher? That she had not been able to protect her, and her smile, as she'd hoped?

"It's not..." Glynda cottoned on to the way that Emerald's knee was bobbing up and down beneath the table. "It wasn't really your fault, if I'm being honest. I just... I heard something about you that had me doubting a lot of things. I don't think I need to tell you that I'm a bit of a... paranoid idiot sometimes–"

"You are no such thing!" Glynda disagreed with ardor. "You are a wonderful young woman. That will be the truth no matter what you say of yourself."

Emerald smiled at that, but it was a weak gesture. Clearly put upon for her sake.

She didn't believe it.

That... how could she not believe such a thing?

Of course, it was oneself who saw their flaws at their most damning, and their strengths at their most meaningless. Glynda had long since accepted that about people, and about herself as well. Her inability to take compliments – that which Cinder had pointed out to her – had largely stemmed from similar emotions herself.

Perhaps, then, that was why she was so adamant about making sure Emerald did not doubt herself in the same ways that Glynda often did to herself. Because she knew how that felt. She knew what it was like to think she was never good enough.

And... and for Emerald to think such things of herself was foolish, at best. How she was unable to see what a terrifically studious, loyal, and passionate young woman she truly was... it was beyond Glynda.

...Emerald didn't think she was worth the effort that Glynda was putting in to help her. Somehow, Glynda had always suspected such a thing. That Emerald thought herself as lesser. That the circumstances of her birth, or her early life, or whatever it was that she'd been led to believe by the people she'd met made her worth less than others.

Such a thing was such utter... utter bullshit that Glynda Goodwitch wished to take those feelings, apply her semblance to them, and wring them free of Emerald's head.

On account of that being impossible, however, she would have to settle for proving her words to Emerald. For proving that which she had always tried to prove to her. And that...

It would not be easy. There was a part of Glynda that was still hesitant about this herself, but...

Qrow's words came back to her, then. That being a coward here wasn't just doing herself a disservice, but Emerald, too.

It was her feelings she cared for. Emerald's. Not her own.

"May I ask you something, Emerald?"

The young woman looked up at her, her eyes dimmed somewhat, evidently still convinced that Glynda's words were false.

"Uh... sure."

She nodded her head, took a breath, and then began to speak.

"As you know, the third semester at Beacon this year will be over before we all know it. Soon enough it will be summer, and Beacon will be letting out for the year. It will be three or so months until we reconvene for next year's lessons."

Emerald winced at that, at what was, seemingly, a painful reminder, before she nodded her head.

"And I..." Glynda wrung her hands together, feeling just as nervous as she had when she'd given Cinder a window to tell her anything, anything at all, and genuinely meant it. "...During the Summer… do you have anywhere to stay? Anywhere to go? Will you return to Mistral, perhaps?"

Emerald raised an eyebrow. She seemed to ponder her answer to that for a moment, before she sighed, and shook her head.

"I doubt it, and in answer to the first question, no, not really." She admitted. "But I'm not really struggling in terms of cash. I know where some of the cheaper hotels are in Vale. Or I'll just rent out a room or something."

"I see." Glynda... that... that was the answer she'd been both dreading, and hoping for.

Dreading, because that was such a sad thing for the girl to have to consider. For her to have to worry about where she would be living once Beacon let out for the term.

And yet... she'd been subtly hoping for that answer too, because it meant that...

She swallowed, reached into her bag, and took from out of it a set of forms. They were long, and winding, and incredibly wordy, but...

She stood, made her way to Emerald's side of the table, and sat down. She placed the forms within reach of Emerald.

Emerald looked like she wanted to reach for them, but Glynda still had her hand atop them.

"...I... I understand if what I'm about to offer you comes off as... as ridiculous, truly. I'm... I very well may be jumping the gun on this, or reading far too much into things, or taking advantage of you, or..."

Emerald was, rather clearly, completely confused.

...Well, she could continue to dig herself into a hole, or she could let Emerald read the forms, couldn't she?

And so, she lifted her hand, and gestured for Emerald to take them.

She did just that, looking down at the twenty or so pieces of paper in front of her, held together by a paperclip, and began to read from the top of the first. It was a lengthy and overly-wordy document.

Glynda did not know how to react when Emerald's crimson eyes widened to what would have been comical proportions at any other time.

"...Ms. Goodwitch, what..." Her voice was so small, so horribly small, and Glynda wanted nothing more than to reach over and hug her, but she refrained. "...What is this?"

She swallowed on some spittle at the back of her throat, before forcing herself to be strong.

And she spoke the words that she'd been waiting to for a long while.

"This is an official form of Vale. Signed by myself." She said, before realizing that, on its own, was practically nothing. "It... it entails my wish to become your legal guardian. Your... your family."

Emerald was entirely motionless for quite some time after that. It felt like an eternity that Glynda waited for her to say something, even if some part of her understood that it had to have been, at most, eight or nine seconds.

Still, she could not deny the way her heart hammered. The way she wanted nothing more than for Emerald to accept her offer.

She... she wanted to be a part of Emerald's life. She wanted to help her, to give her a permanent residence. A home. More than that, she wanted to give her the love and care she'd been denied so long.

Even so, she felt so horribly awkward. It was all she could do to clear her throat, and continue speaking.

"Of course, this paper is only really a start to the proceedings. It's quite the lengthy case that usually takes upwards of two to three months to resolve, so I could understand if you might not want to go ahead with such a grueling trial. And of course, I might be being far too presumptuous to offer such a thing in the first place, and I could completely understand if that was off-putting, so if any of this makes you uncomfortable at all then please–"

Emerald barreled into her, wrapped her arms around her, and began to sob into her chest.

It was such a vulnerable action. Something that Glynda had learned not to associate with Emerald. She was... for better or for worse, she always acted so strong, so powerful and brave. And she was all of those things, of course she was...

But everyone had a breaking point. And more than that, everyone had a point where they needed to be able to step back, and have a place where they could go to not have to be so strong.

And...

Glynda felt her own eyes tearing up, and she bit down into her bottom lip as she sniffled, trying her best not to cry.

...That she could be that place for Emerald... that she could be the place she could go to when she needed to let down her walls, and simply be vulnerable...

It meant the world. No. That was not enough. It meant much more than the world.

"I-I'm sorry..." Emerald wheezed out between sobs, and Glynda felt a part of her heart break. "I'm so sorry... I ran away, and... and I wouldn't talk with you at all about... about anything that was–"

She shook her head, wrapping her arms around Emerald and pressing her into her chest. "There's nothing to apologize for, sweetie."

Emerald shook in her arms. "But I–"

"Nothing." Glynda was gentle, yet firm in her retort. "Nothing at all. I never blamed you. You're always so terribly hard on yourself."

Emerald nodded into her chest; her tear tracks being absorbed into Glynda's teaching outfit.

"...Thank you..."

Glynda's smile was watery. "Thank you, Emerald."

Emerald shook her head. "No... no, I..." She couldn't seem to find the words. "Just... you really..." her voice was so terribly, terribly small. "Y-You want me?"

The words hurt more than Glynda could express. The doubt in that statement, like there was any possible way that Emerald Sustrai couldn't be enough, that there was any way someone could want for better than her...

"I do." She declared with an absolute steel. "Please. Please, never doubt that. No matter what happens."

Emerald, again, nodded into her chest.

Glynda wasn't sure if Emerald yet believed her words. She hoped she did, but...

But just in case she didn't... just in case there was a part of Emerald that still wasn't certain as to whether or not Glynda cared about her as much as she said she did...

She held Emerald just a little bit tighter.

And hoped that was enough.

End Chapter 40

Maybe being Emerald isn't always suffering?